Somewhere
by CRRC
Summary: Nice one shot of Rin as an adult, thinking about Shiro.


Had this idea nagging at me, so I thought I'd post it on here. Hopefully someone will enjoy it. :)

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><p>"I'd hear the same voice, echo in my mind…" Rin hummed along with his boombox, slipping his muscular arm into the black trench coat, then fastening the six buttons. Beneath the jacket his tie and white button down shirt lay, clean and pressed.<p>

Par as usual he rolled his sleeves up, the heavy jacket material giving way easily, used to the abuse. Although it fit snug to his body, Rin hated the way the sleeves restricted his movements while fighting. His belt sat idly on the bed, and once his second sleeve was rolled up to his liking Rin grabbed it and slipped it through the holes of his jacket, fastening it to his hips. It wouldn't do any good to have it get in the way during an important moment.

"Said, 'Son you got an angel to chase the devil at night'." The song continued and Rin turned to look in the mirror sighing heavily, a hand absent-mindedly running through his hair. His tail whipped behind him lazily, the end twitching as it came to rest at his feet.

"When I was a kid, my grandfather was a preacher." The words quietly roused from his lips, his eyes shifting to the side of the mirror where a white belt and a set of onyx rosary hung. "He'd talk about God, yeah he was something like a teacher."

His hand reached out and took the belt from the hook, his fingers running smoothly over the stone beads. "He said 'God only helps those, who learn to help them selves'."

It had taken years, but finally, after achieving the role of a Knight, Kyodo had pulled Rin aside. The whole monastery had been there, congratulating him. The best part had been when Kyodo handed him a small, blue, silk woven bag. Rin still remembered the feeling of the cold beads toppling out into his hand, his heart stopping. His recognition was instant.

For years he'd played with them, especially when he was younger. Dangling from his father's hip like a toy itching to be held. The many times he had been told not to pull at them, or bite them. Then, finally, his father gave up and took to taking them off, handing them over to his son.

A smirk appeared on Rin's lips, remembering the scolding he'd received when he doused them in holy water at the front of the church, insisting Yukio had cursed them by sneezing on them.

"He was a million miles from a million dollar, but you could never spend his worth." He sang further, keeping in time with the song, unlatching the belt to sling it loosely over his hips, the beads dangling down, the cross resting well past his knee.

The music continued to vertebrate through the room as Rin left the mirror and went to his closet, withdrawing a key from his jacket and inserting it into the keyhole. Turning the key three times Rin heard the distinctive 'Click!' of the door unlocking. He replaced the key back in his jacket and looked down at the Kurikara, resting peacefully against the wall, fully sheathed.

Reaching forward Rin took the sword and slid it into its soft case, using the strap that was attached to slide it over his shoulder. The familiar weight of the weapon brought an odd comfort to him, and he rolled his shoulder, pushing the sword into its usual resting place on his body, before closing the closet door.

His attention fell back into the song that had been playing in the room. "And as I walk through that story book life, I was looking for an angel to chase the devil at night." From his desk his cell phone vibrated, announcing it had received a text.

Smiling to himself, Rin picked up the device and flipped it open. It was Bon, or Ryuji as Rin now called him. It had taken forever, but finally Ryuji had allowed it. The sake filled night kept the smile on Rin's face as he responded to the text, telling Ryuji they could meet at the Japanese headquarters. The trip would be quick, Rin had the key now.

The phone snapped shut and Rin placed it in his back pocket. With a quick glance around the room, then in the mirror, Rin turned to the boom box, his hand motioning for the power button.

"When I was a kid, my grandfather was a preacher. He'd talk about life, yeah, he was something like a teacher." Rin's smile faded slightly and he turned the music off, looking back into the mirror.

His blue eyes took in his reflection; his pointed ears, slightly longer black hair, and mature features. They made their way down to his Exorcist pin, which hung loosely from a silver chain, then he glanced down to the floor, pausing for a moment.

"I wish you could see me Old Man, you could see who you raised, and what a good job you did." He muttered, feeling his heart sink.

Silence encased him, claiming him at its own. Then his phone vibrated again.

Snapping out of his sullen mood Rin withdrew the phone to look at it.

"Hurry up, would ya?" The text brought the smile back, and Rin looked back up in the mirror.

"Heh, guess I'll just have to hope I'll see you again. Until then though, sit back and watch. I'll show you how a real exorcist works." He laughed quietly and left the mirror, switched off his room light and shut the door, his rosary beads swinging out of sight before the door snapped shut.


End file.
